Door or closure



2 Sheets- Sheet l H wmmwww-whnwv.. i551?, /j I l, I IH/ DOOR OR CLOSURER. w. STEVENS Filed Feb. 1, 195o Oct. 23, 1934.

Odi. Z3, 1934. W STEVENS A 1,978,234

DooR 0R cLosURE` Filed Feb.A 1. 1930 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. /Fffr W.STEVE/V5,

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Patented Oct. 23, 1934 PATENT@ OFFICE DOOR OR CLOSURE `Robert W.Stevens, Huntington, Ind., assigner to The Majestic Company, Huntington,Ind., a

corporation Application February 1,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to folding self sustaining structures such asdoors for garages and the like. i

The chief object of the invention is to provide a closure door for suchas garages and the like, and having the aforesaid character and which inaddition theretoycan be readily locked in the opening closing positionand can be readily mounted in such an opening.

. One feature of the invention consists in the self sustainingrelationship that is obtained between two hingedly connected sections ofa closure embodied in a door.

Another feature of the invention consists in the multiple charactercounter-weight associated with the hingedly connected folding closure`,sections at a plurality of points of connection.

Another feature of the invention consists in the multiple guideway for aplurality of adjacent counter weights and the support for thesustainingpulleys whereby the latter are supported in angular relation,the vertex of which is substantially'coincident Awith the cableconnections tothe closure. l

`Another feature of the invention consists in the means provided fornormally maintaining "the `sec-tions inrelative alignment when theclosure is in the `full closed position'. l Another feature oftheinventi`on consists in the `latch construction, whereby the severalsections may beV locked in the closed positionwhen closed and which isof such arrangement that the same may'be readily applied to two adjacentportions, 'of three or more hingedly connected door sections insubstantially collapsed relationship.

Another feature vof the invention consists in .the construction of thecombined counter-weight housing and the track-way.

A furtherfeature of the invention consists in forming the 'latter insections, whereby the mid- 'section mayxbe removed; permitting access to:bev had to the counter-weights for connection and adjustment. l`Another feature of the invention consists in :the unitary hoodconstruction that secures the Vtrack-way andthe counter-weight housingtogether vand serves as a protecting hood for the 0 guide pulleys.

The full nature of the' 'invention will be more `,fully understood fromthe accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

y In the drawings Fig` 1 is an elevational view of `a door construction`showing the same fully 1930, Serial No. 425,101

(Cl. -20) i closed, the right hand portion of said view representing theinterior of the door and the left hand portionv representing theexterior of the door and the frame portion associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a Vertical sectional view through the 60 door in its openposition and through the midportion thereof and showing the latch forthe same in its nested relation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through thecounter-weight housing, track-way g5 and illustrates the position of theguide pulleys for the counterweights and the relationship of the cablesconnected thereto relative to the section supporting rollers.

Fig.' 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of 10 the latch and catchconstruction showing the same in the closed door position.

Fig. 5 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 4 and is looking from theupper end thereof.

Fig. 6 is a central sectional view through a 75 unitary housing cover.

In the drawings 10 indicates the sides of the door opening, 1l the topthereof, l2 indicates the floor of the building structure provided withsaid opening, such as a garage or the like, and 13 in- 30 dicates theceiling of said structure, although as a general rule the ceiling is notas low as that shown, for the latter represents the worst conditionencountered. Hingedly connected to angle plate 14 secured within and atthe top of the 85 opening and as at 15, is a door section 16, hingedlyconnected at its opposite end as at 17 to another door section 18. Thelatter is hingedly connected at its opposite end as at 19, to theadjacent end of a door section 20, which in turn at its opposite end isconnected as at 2l to a door section 22. The average garage door openingis about eight feet in height so that four sections approximate two feetror thereabouts in width and when hinged together, form a satisfactorydoor opening closure. Herein four sections are illustrated as sufficientfor closing the door opening. The bottom of the door supports a sealing`strip 23 which may be nested in the groove 124 formed in the bottom ofthe last section.

Herein a pair of spaced track members 24 and 25 provide a grooveconstruction that receives a grooved roller 26 carried by the -axle 27,said wheel being locked thereon as at 28 and inter-- posed therebetweenis a cable mounting portion 29; The loop of the cable is indicated at30. "Axle 27 constitutes the hinge pin of the hinge construction andherein the hinge construction `19 is shown with its pin extended andsupporting the guide roller 26. The lower end of the lower sectionsupports a similar roller supporting axle 128 but not of hingecharacter.

Axle 121 supports roller 30. Lower axle 128 is connected at 129 to acable 33, which in turn is connected at its opposite end to acounterweight 34. The upper axle 27 is connected by a cable 31 to acounterweight 32. Both sides of the door construction are similarlyprovided and as will be readily apparent from the position of theweights and the comparative size of the weights, weight 32 carries allof the load of the two upper sections and part of the load for part ofthe distance of the two lower sections, while the small weight 34carries part of the load of the two lower sections during all of thetravel and all of the load of the two lower sections during part of thetravel, that is the latter part of the door opening movement. v

It will be understood that the several pairs of rollers 26 and 30 arealways confined in the' trackway and the hinging arrangement is suchthat the rollersfare always in alignment, although the spacingtherebetween will and does vary between the positions of Figs. 1 and 2.

Since the roller bears against the track member 24, the effectivelength, when the sections are shown as illustrated in Fig. 2, ismeasured from the wheel engagement 26 and since the section 18 isinclined upwardly from the wheel towards the hinge 17, the lengththereof is greater than the length from pin 17 of section 16 to 15indicating the point where section 16 passes the engaging edge of track24, so that infefect a brace construction or relationship is obtained,

L whereby the weight effective through the cable and connected to theaxle of roller 26 serves to maintain in elevated relation the adjacenthinged ledges of the sections 16 and 18 through the bracing action ofsection 18. Similarly the distance from the contact of wheel with track24 to hinge pin 2l is not less than the distance between said hinge pinand the contact of wheel 26 against track24 so that the weight connectedby the cable to the axle of the wheel 30 serves to maintain elevated thetwo hingedly connected ends of sections 20 and 22, together by thebracingaction of the section 22. In other words, no latches are requiredto hold the sections in elevated position.. They counter-weights aresuilcient and the action is automatic.

Each side lof the door opening is provided with a combinationcounter-weight housing and roller track-way,` the same terminating atits opposite end in a bracket (not shown) which supports a pair of guidepulleys in angular relation. The .details of said counterweight housingconstruction are shown in Fig. 3 and in said figure, 34 indicates aU-shaped sheet metal housing andvit has been determined that one of20-gauge metal is suincient. Another U-shaped member 35, having' angulardirected ends 36 which are directed towards each other, has an overallwidth of approximately that of the width of the U or channel shapedhousing 34. An angle member 37 having one edge terminating in a I.J-shaped grooved portion 38 longitudinally receives the inturned flange36 of the U-shaped member 35 and the sides of said members form a groovethat receives the projecting end or edge of the U-shaped housing 34. Theangle member and the channel may be suitably secured together as byspot-welding or the like and the same with the projecting edge of theU-shaped member 34 interposed therebetween, may be similarly securedtogether.

With this construction, the tracks 24 and 25 are vwhich is engaged bymaintained in spaced relation by the base portion of the secondmentioned U-shaped construction and said base portion also serves as a.cover for the counter-weight housing. An angular piece of sheet metal 39may be secured as at 40 to said counter-weight housing and forms apartition therein providing two compartments in each of which is mounteda counter-weight.

As shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3 counterweight pulleys 41 are mountedat the top of the construction and are arranged in angular relation withthe vertex of the angle substantially coinciding with the track-way andthe cable over each pulley is connected to the roller axle.

In order to maintain the several sections in substantial alignment whenthe door opening is to be closed, a cam type guard 42 is provided acurved spring 43 carried by the upper portion of the lower door section.When the lower door` section is in substantial alignment and as it ismoving downwardly toward complete closing position, the spring 43engages the cam type guard 42 and said section is forced intosubstantial alignment and when lowered it is maintained in substantialalignment by said guard 42. It will, of course, be understood that thetwo lower sections in substantially vertical alignment aided by guard 42and spring 43 prior to vertical alignment of sections above when door isbeingclosed conversely when door is being opened the two lower sectionsare held in substantial vertical alignment aided by guard 42 and spring43, while the upperv sections are being folded in substantiallyhorizontal position.

The lock and latch construction is shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 5. Thesecond section from the top is herein shown provided with a lock 44, thekey-hole being exposed through the escutcheon plate 45. The cylinderportion of the lock is associated with a bolt operating mechanismenclosed within housing 46 and whereby the bolt 47 may be retracted.Extending through the door section supporting the lockv cylinder, is asquared shaft. 48,'and said shaft is rotatably mounted therein. Theshaft projects oppositely beyond both sides of the door and eachprojecting end terminates in a hingedly supported handle 49, the reason,therefore, being perfectly obvious, see Fig. 2, to wit, due to therequirement that the handle be nested to permit folding of the doorsections into the open position and thus permit the door sections to liesubstantially above the top l1 of the door opening.

The handle 48` on the inside of the door extends through a matchedsquared opening in a latch -plate 50. Latch plate 50 is oscillatablymounted and is confined against displacement transverse to the plane ofoscillation by a bracket or guard plate 51 and extension 52 of saidplate 50 has an abutment 53 and a camming portion I54, both beingassociated with the bolt 47 of the lock construction. If the bolt is inthe locking position and the extension is in the unlocked position, itmay be readily turned clockwise and the bolt seated in a notch in saidextension 52. The bolt 47 must be retracted in order to free theextension and permit operation of the handles 49 totilt the lever latch50 from the locked to the unlocked position. A spring 50' is so mountedbetween 51 and 50 to force latch 50 automatically' into asubstantiallyvertical position.

, The catch comprises an angle plate having the base portion 55, theretaining portion 56 and a cam extensionV 57, the seat or recess beingindicated at 58. Fig. 5 illustrates several successive positions assumedby the tiltable latch in moveing from door locking to unlocked position,theA door sections.

In order to facilitate mounting of the device, it is to be understoodthat the U-shaped counterweight housing extends continuously from thebottom to the top of the opening but the combination cover and track-waytherefor is formed in three sections and the top and bottom sectionspreferably are permanently united to the counterweight housing aspreviously described and illustrated in Fig. 3. The central sections ofthetrackways are detachably associated with the upper and lower endsections and this detachability permits the sections to be installed,the weights inserted and secured to the cables through the openings tothe counter-weight compartments and after proper adjustment has beenmade for the desired length of the cable, the central section of thecombination track-way and counter-weight housing cover is detachablymounted on the adjoining sections.

The invention claimed iszl. In a collapsible closure construction, thecombination of a plurality of hingedly mounted closure sections, a guideor track-Way associated therewith, guide associated means carried by thesections, a cam guard adjacent said trackway, and a spring carried byone of the lower sections adjacent the hinge connection between the twolowest sections and having engagement with said guard in the movement ofsaid closure sections into closing position for cushioning the closingmovement and retaining said sections in aligned closure closingposition.

2. In a horizontally hinged closure construction, the combination of aplurality of horizontally hinged closure sections arranged for overheadfolding, the uppermost section being of greater width than the nextsection and having its upper edge supported and arranged for tiltingmovement, vertical guide means positioned rearwardly of a vertical planeincluding the tilting axis of the upper support,A means carried by saidsections operatively associated with the guide means, andcounterbalancing means associated with the sections, one of the lowersections being positionable in a downwardly and forwardly inclined planefor bracing the sections to hold same in substantially overheadposition.

3. In a horizontally hinged closure construction, the combination of aplurality of horizontally hinged closure sections arranged for overheadfolding, the uppermost section being of greater width than the nextsection and having its upper edge supported and arranged for tiltingmovement, vertical guide means positioned rearwardly of a vertical planeincluding the tilting axis of the upper support, guide associated meanscarried by the sections, counterbalancing means associated with thesections, one of the lower sections being positionable in a downwardlyand forwardly inclined plane for bracing the superposed sections to holdthe same in substantially overhead position, a cam guard adjacent theguide means, and a spring carried by one of the lower sections adjacentthe hinge connection between the two lowest sections and havingengagement with said cam guard in the movement of said closure sectionsinto closing position for cushioning the closing movement and retainingsaid sections in aligned closure closing position.

\ ROBERT W. STEVENS.

